1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sheet post-process apparatus, such as a finisher, which is designed for installation at the outlet side of a multi-function periperal (MFP).
2. Description of the Related Art
An apparatus called “finisher” is known, which receives printed sheets supplied from the MFP and staples them together. In the finisher, the sheets supplied from the MFP are sequentially conveyed to a tray and stapled by a stapler, forming a bundle of sheets. The bundle of sheets is ejected from the apparatus onto a storage tray.
Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 6-99070 discloses a finisher. This finisher performs a post-process on sheets. In the post-process, a stapler staples sheets. To process the sheets at the same rate as the MFP processes them, it is necessary to reduce the speed at which sheets are conveyed in the finisher. The finisher therefore has a long sheet-conveying path.
In Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKOKU Publication No. 6-99070, because two sheet paths of a sort path and a non-sort path exist, the number of mechanical parts such as a roller is increased by the sort path.
A paper post-process apparatus, which is arranged to retract a jogger stage for jogging the sheets of paper in order to move a bundle of paper onto the storage tray when the process of stapling sheets together with the stapler is finished, is well known (Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 8-217321).